At least one person is dead and numerous others injured after multiple shootings during Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebrations on Monday.
In Miami, three juveniles and three adults were shot, and several others grazed by bullets, during a MLK Day celebration at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park shortly before 4 p.m., WSVN reports.
Other folks were injured as people scrambled for cover when shots rang out.
“Today was suppose to be about peace and togetherness.”
–@ann_keil/@wsvn.We are praying everyone is okay. #MLKDAY pic.twitter.com/wbWEfk2PUy
— Miami Beach Police (@MiamiBeachPD) January 16, 2017
Six people were hospitalized and in stable condition late Monday, while a 20-year old man was in critical condition and undergoing surgery.
“I now can report that we have two people detained and are being questioned by our detectives,” Miami-Dade detective Marjoria Eloi told the news site at around 5:20 p.m. “And we have two firearms that have been detained.”
The WSVN news crew was covering the celebration when four to six shots were fired in the crowd, prompting a stampede that separated children from their parents as people ducked for cover behind tables and walls.
shooting at festival after Miami MLK parade. multiple shots heard 1,000 feet from us. @wsvn pic.twitter.com/bdvVmAGZ75
— Ann Keil (@ann_keil) January 16, 2017
Two women appeared to have been shot in the leg, as was the man in surgery after the incident.
“They were still shooting and the ambulance couldn’t leave,” local Geral Fraizer said. “Everybody just running and screaming.”
Witness Tammy Meeks spoke about the irony of the violence on a day designed to honor the peaceful protests of America’s most iconic civil rights leader.
“(This happened) too close to home,” said Meeks, who as at the event with her family. “I mean, I had my son out there, my nieces and nephews were there, and my main concern was to make sure they were ok. My main goal was to get down and cover them so they wouldn’t be harmed.
“It’s terrible,” she continued. “I mean, this is supposed to be Martin Luther King Day. This should be one of the one days out of the year where whether you’re white, black, Hispanic – no matter what you are, we come together and just have fun and care for one another. And it’s senseless we can’t just do that on one day of the year.”
Watch the moment shots rang out at MLK Jr. Memorial Park caught on camera.
— WSVN 7 News (@wsvn) January 16, 2017
WSVN reporter Ann Keil posted an update to Twitter that MDPD counted a total of eight people hit by bullets, including three teens and two adults, as well as the 20-year-old man who was hospitalized. Two of the people were grazed by bullets.
“This was supposed to be about peace and togetherness,” Keil posted.
“@MiamiDadePD shameful closing to the MLK Parade,” MDPD officer Juan Perez posted to Twitter. “Certainly not what the followers of Dr. King Jr. want out of our community.”
About two hours after the Miami shooting, shots rang out at a MLK Day event in Hollandale Beach, as well – about 35 miles north of the first incident, the Sun-Sentinel reports.
Officers responded to Foster Road around 6:30 p.m. to find three people shot. One man was killed while an adult and a juvenile sustained injuries that were not life-threatening, Hallandale Beach Police spokesman Pedro Abut told the news site.
Police have released little information about the incident, but the suspected shooter was in custody and cooperating with police, Abut said.
“We’re going to completely and thoroughly conduct an investigation so we understand what exactly happened tonight,” Abut said.
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